Managed Long-Term Services and Supports for Medicaid Only and Dually Eligible Individuals

More and more states are addressing the long-term services and supports needs of Medicaid only and dually eligible persons by developing Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) programs. States are moving away from fee-for-service plans and coordinating care through these capitated programs. The goals of these programs include greater efficiency while maintaining quality and better coordination of care. For dually eligible persons, the expansion of MLTSS has been made possible through the creation of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the Affordable Care Act to improve communication and coordination between state and federal programs. MLTSS invest heavily into home and community-based services and care coordination to increase the efficiency of their organizations and improve person-centered care. Nurses who engage with this vulnerable population are in a prime position to further innovate this model to improve person and family outcomes. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(6), 7-11.].